From Vacancy to Flourishing Family Ministry: East Brighton Family Ministry

When a Vacancy Becomes a Ministry

The Story of Family Ministry in East Brighton

Sometimes change in a parish begins with something quite ordinary.

A role becomes vacant.

During our work with East Brighton Parish on the Brighton Mission Hub project, one of the parish’s part-time staff roles came to an end. It would have been perfectly reasonable simply to recruit someone to replace the previous post and continue much as before.

But Canon Kieron O’Brien and the parish leadership sensed that the moment might offer an opportunity to think differently.

Across many parishes today there is a growing awareness that families need more intentional support. Sacramental programmes often bring parents into contact with the parish, but too often that connection fades once the programme is complete. Many families would like to be more involved in the life of the Church, but they are not always sure how.

The question we began exploring was a simple one: If the parish were starting from scratch, how might it design a role that truly served families?

Out of those conversations the idea of a Family Ministry Coordinator emerged. Rather than simply administering programmes, this role would focus on relationships — helping families feel known, welcomed and connected to the life of the parish.

In 2023 the parish appointed Julia Wingfield to the role. In the early months I met with Julia regularly for coaching and mentoring conversations. Those sessions were not about giving instructions but about helping her think through how the ministry might grow in a sustainable way. Parish ministry always requires patience; relationships take time to develop.

Gradually the work began to take shape. Sacramental preparation programmes for Baptism and First Holy Communion were renewed with greater emphasis on accompanying parents as well as children. New initiatives began to appear in the parish calendar — Messy Church gatherings, toddler groups, and informal spaces where families could simply spend time together.

What was most encouraging, however, was not simply the number of activities but the change in atmosphere. Families were not just attending courses and leaving. They were building friendships with one another. Parents were volunteering in parish life. Children were growing up seeing the Church not only as a place for sacraments but as a community.

In 2025 the parish expanded the role to full-time. Julia now leads a growing team and is developing further initiatives, including work with teenagers preparing for Confirmation and plans for after-school activities that will make use of the new Brighton Mission Hub once it opens.

Looking back, it is striking that the whole development began with something so simple — a vacancy. But sometimes a small moment of change gives a parish the freedom to imagine something new.